Our family of 6 has been doing some sort of road trip every year ever since before the kids were born. At first, we were using a tent, but 10 years ago after a very wet and miserable trip to Acadia National Park, I decided that some sort of camper was in order, but I didn’t want something huge or fancy/expensive. I ended up buying a used cargo trailer for $1400, insulated it, added brakes, electrical, and bunks. It’s essentially a tent that doesn’t leak and that you don’t have to set up or tear down. Within the first 6 months of owning the thing, we crossed the entire continental US, camping on the beach on both the Pacific and the Atlantic. It’s got some miles on it.

This year the destination was Wyoming. We love WY, and this will be our 6th trip to the state, but this trip was a new location and a somewhat different agenda. I typically try to avoid the crowded National Parks in favor of more remote National Forests and BLM areas, but the In-laws bought a Scamp trailer and were joining us this year, and they’d never been to WY before, so they needed to experience the parks.

My wife found a National Forest Service campground on US26 just outside of Dubois, which was about an hour from Grand Teton NP and 2.5 Hours from Old Faithful in Yellowstone, so we decided to make that base camp for the trip. We also got a new dog in December, and he came along (our previous dog always stayed home), so that was a different dynamic as well.

Day 1 - I had the trailer all hooked up and ready to go, so we got an early start leaving our house in northern Indiana. The In-laws were getting in ahead of us, and were planning to meet us at the campground the following day, so I was trying to get as many miles under our belt as possible on day 1. There were no reservations (how I like it), so I wanted to get in early enough to make sure we got a spot.

Moose, the dog (yeah, it’s confusing), travels really well. He’s up to 45lbs, and I don’t think he’s gonna get much bigger, but he’s still plenty big for a lap dog.



Traffic was pretty decent, even around Chicago, and we spent almost the entire day on I-80, making it to within 20 miles of the Nebraska/Wyoming border the first night. We found a nice little free (donations accepted) campground called Oliver State Recreation Area and pulled in for the evening. We cooked dinner, walked the dog, and went to bed, ready for another early morning the next day.

Day 2 - We got up early and after about 100 more miles on I-80 finally got to drive some 2-lane and made it to Falls Campground about 20 miles outside of Dubois a little after noon, where we met up with the in-laws and set up camp. It’s in a beautiful spot, right next to the Continental Divide, and the views were spectacular. There’s also a creek running right next to the campground, so we wasted no time getting out the poles and catching some trout.








That evening right before bed my middle son got sick and puked in the trailer. Thankfully he caught it in a bag, and then got outside for the rest, but it scared me that we were about to begin a week of everybody puking while we were all trying to share living space inside of a 6x12 trailer. Then somebody noticed that the dog’s groin was completely covered in inflamed and bleeding bug bites. So I spent the evening cleaning up puke and rubbing neosporin on the dog’s nether-regions. Not exactly the high point of the trip for me.

Day 3 - Day 3 started out with the dog waking me up at 5am (7am our time) and a short hike up to the top of the overlook at the campground. It was earlier than I wanted to be awake, but it was a beautiful sunrise. Thankfully my middle son was feeling better, and the dog’s crotch-bites were clearing up.



On the way into town the day before we passed the National Museum of Military Vehicles, so we had to go back and check that out. It’s an amazingly well set up and modern facility, I can’t recommend it enough if you’re ever in the area. They have a more extensive collection and a more modern facility than many big-city museums I’ve been to, and it’s tucked away in the middle of rural Wyoming. We only had the morning to tour it, and my time was cut in half because I had to wait outside with the dog for the first group to go through (thankfully they have a lot of equipment parked outside, too, so there was plenty to look at), but I easily could have spent all day in there. The “path” through the building is over a mile and a half long!



That afternoon we drove out to the Trail Lake Trailhead southeast of Dubois and hiked about 2.5 miles to Lake Louise. It was a decent climb with a pretty rough trail…the grandparents turned around about ¼ mile in, but the rest of us made it. It’s a beautiful hike…lots of granite and waterfalls, and very few people. We caught a few fish and then jumped in the lake to cool off before the hike back down.







The hike out had some exposure, and the wind got a little crazy at times…enough to bend the dog!

Day 4 - We got up early and went to Yellowstone. I wasn’t too excited about this one because I knew it would be crowded, and I wasn’t wrong. We beat most of the line getting in because we got there early and came through the south gate. From what I saw, most of the traffic was coming from the west.

I’d confirmed before we went that we could bring the dog, but I wasn’t aware that he pretty much wouldn’t be allowed to go anywhere once he got there. At Old Faithful, we had to stay back because he wasn’t allowed on the boardwalk. No big deal as you could see it just fine from back there. We just found a nice log and waited. We even got an unexpected special treat when another “unpredictable” Geyser, even bigger than OF, erupted on the other side of the basin.





We then went and hiked the overlook of Grand Prismatic Spring. When we’d been here years before, we didn’t know about the overlook, and had just walked the boardwalk where the steam pretty much obscured the whole thing. Seeing it from above was much better. I didn’t see any no dog signs, either, so he got to come with us on that one. It was crowded and hard to find parking, but the short hike and view were worth it.



The last time we were in Yellowstone, the kid’s favorite part was the swim area on the Firehole river, so that was our next stop. We found parking easily, got changed into swimsuits, and then discovered that the whole area was closed. Bummer. Turns out the dog wouldn’t have been able to go there, either, even if it was open.

We found a picnic area for lunch, then drove up to Mammoth Hot Springs, where once again the dog wasn’t allowed. My oldest son and I walked him up a hill across the road while the rest of them walked the boardwalk. At least we got a decent view of the springs from up there.



Driving through the park we saw a momma brown bear and three cubs about ¼ mile above a convenient overlook parking area, so we got to stop, legally park, and safely observe them from a distance without causing a “bear jam”. They were far enough away that even my 300mm lens wasn’t quite enough for a great photo, but I’d much prefer that scenario to “too close”. The cubs were pretty active and they were fun to watch.



After the bears, we went to the Canyon, which is IMO the most impressive landscape of the park. The waterfall is spectacular, and the contrasting yellows, greens, and blues are absolutely gorgeous when the sun hits them right.



There are, however, a LOT of people. Buses and buses full of people. You’d find a spot that was relatively empty and five minutes late two tour buses would pull up and disgorge a huge crowd of foreign tourists who would literally shove you out of the way to get up front and take selfies.



IMO the park has a bit too much of a nanny-state mentality, and if they’d not put up so many signs like this and just let nature take its course, maybe the place wouldn’t be so crowded. We wouldn’t miss a few here and there, especially the stupid ones.



There were also a lot of these signs. I’m not sure what this is all about, or why it’s even necessary…but yet again, something that might be naturally resolved by the placement of fewer fences and warnings.



By the end of the day, my oldest wasn’t feeling good (probably the same crud that my middle son had been dealing with a couple of nights before, but thankfully the oldest didn’t puke), so he opted to stay in the car for the last few canyon overlooks. At least that gave us somewhere to leave the dog, who decided to commandeer my seat.



We got stuck in another traffic jam on the way out. Yellowstone is beautiful, but way too regulated and crowded, and not relaxing in the least.

Day 5 - After a day of fighting crowds in Yellowstone, we decided to take it easy for a day and took our time waking up, ate a good breakfast, then drove a few miles up the road to Brooks Lake to look around and do some fishing. We started out by wading out into the lake and trying to catch some lakers, but we didn’t have waders and it didn’t take long before that got to be kinda cold. I had one on at one point, but my stupid two-piece rod picked that particular cast to separate and in the mess of reeling it all back in with the fish on, he managed to get off right before I got him out of the water.



The outlet creek had a nice fishing trail so I went about half a mile and managed to catch a few decent trout there, though, and it was a nice little hike. If we go back in the future, I may opt to stay in one of the campgrounds up by the lake instead of the one down by the road just for the views and the fishing.

We've been thinking about a camper for a while. The outfitted cargo trailer is an interesting approach.
Got any shots of that setup?

We did Yellowstone in January a few years ago, bitter cold, but much less crowded & was still amazing.

Day 6 - Back to the Parks, this was Grand Tetons day. It was a bit closer than yellowstone, so we didn’t have to get up quite so early. First stop was Leigh Lake, named after Richard “Beaver Dick” Leigh, as my oldest was delighted to discover . There’s a really nice, flat hike along the east shore of the lake, with what would have been great views if the Californias would stop polluting everybody’s air with their wildfire smoke.



Our plan was to hike the trail up to Bearpaw lake, which is about 8 easy miles round trip. About 3 miles in, we were resting on a beach when some guys came by and told us they had seen a bear about ¼ mile up along the beach. They said it had seemed pretty uninterested in them, and wandered off into the woods. Bears are just a fact of life in that area, so we decided to give him some time to get on his way before we continued. After a 20 minute or so wait we continued up the trail. In about ¼ mile we rounded a corner and just about walked into the sucker. It was headed east across the trail about 10 yards in front of us.

My oldest was out front, immediately stopped and loudly called out “BEAR” as he started backing up. I grabbed the 329PD out of my kit bag and started backing up with him. The rest of the family, who were behind us, immediately started backtracking down the trail. The bear didn’t even give us a second look and just kept going on his way into the woods. We backed off a few hundred yards and I put the gun away.

A family of European tourists with 2 little kids were coming up the trail behind us, so we told them there was a bear just around the next corner. Dude looked at me and said “Ok, thank you” and just kept going. We waited a few minutes and when I didn’t hear any screaming or growling. I figured maybe the bear had left so I carefully walked back up to investigate. When I could see around the corner, 100 yards ahead of me was the idiot who had just passed us with his camera out taking pictures of the ~500lb brown bear that was standing there facing him, less than 20 yards in front of him, his wife, and his kids. I went back to my family and told them, “our hike ends here today,” and we turned around. I’m not playing games with a 500lb grizzly. Dude probably got some great pictures, but also likely learned nothing. Fortuitous outcomes reinforce bad decision-making.

We went back to the trailhead and spent some time swimming in String Lake. The water was cold, but crystal clear and beautiful. There was a big rock you could swim out to and jump off, and my youngest and I had to do it, even though I was just about hypothermic by that point.



Grand Teton is another park where dogs are allowed in, but pretty much not allowed to go anywhere. They are super paranoid about the bears, and had a whole crew of rangers walking the picnic area making sure food is put away and blocking off areas whenever a bear wonders through. The place is incredibly crowded just like Yellowstone, so I get that they have to service the lowest common denominator and don’t want a lot of injuries and bad press, but again there’s a overzealous nanny-state element to it, especially considering the contrast to the National Forest just a few miles away.



We wore out my in-laws with the hiking, and ended up getting back to camp in time for supper, so my son and I drove back up the hill to Brooks Lake after we ate for some fishing and playing with his drone. He caught a couple, I got nothing, but it was a really nice way to spend an evening after being in the National Park all day. He got some cool drone shots, and on our way back we saw a cow moose with two calves grazing on the hill across from the campground.





It was a full day, and by the end of it we were all ready to hit the rack. Quarters have gotten kinda tight in the trailer as the kids have grown, and especially now with the addition of the dog!

Day 7 - The in-laws wanted another day in Grand Teton, but I wasn’t keen on going back there just to sit in the picnic area with the dog, so my oldest, the dog, and I stayed back in Dubois. We went back to the Trail Lake Trailhead in the morning and got our butts kicked by the switchbacks on the Whiskey Mountain hike, then did some fishing and firewood collection in the afternoon. We also stopped and checked out the fish hatchery in Dubois, which was an interesting little side-trip.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
We've been thinking about a camper for a while. The outfitted cargo trailer is an interesting approach.
Got any shots of that setup?

We did Yellowstone in January a few years ago, bitter cold, but much less crowded & was still amazing.

Ok, so a quick break from the trip report for some detail on the trailer as requested by P250UA5.

It’s a 6x12 Haulmark Utility trailer that I bought used off of a guy who was going to use it to transport his motorcycle, but never got around to taking his trip. From the sun-faded areas on the sides, I can faintly see where it used to at least belong to a construction company and a powerwashing company before him.



I ripped out the cheap luan interior walls, installed 1” foam insulation all around, and then sheeted it with ⅜” plywood. I got some RV windows off of Ebay, and put one in the door, one on the side, and another in the rear ramp. I got a high-volume 12V vent fan and hood for the roof. I also wired it for rooftop A/C, but never got around to installing any. It’s heavy and expensive, and we really haven’t needed it since we only camp in the fall or at high altitudes where heat isn’t much of a problem, especially at night. I also installed electric brakes because we do a lot of driving in the mountains with it, and put hooks along the top of the door-side where I can hang a tarp for a makeshift awning if it rains (typically we try to watch the weather and just go somewhere else if it looks like it’s going to be rainy for more than a day).



The bunks are 2x4 and plywood sheeting, with iron pipe legs that unscrew so you can fold them up out of the way against the wall if you want to use it as a cargo trailer (but all the mattresses have to come out, which is kinda PITA). The rear ramp also isn’t very useful since I installed the egress window back there, but it’s worth it for the improved airflow. There are drawers under the rear bunks to hold clothes…6 of them, so one for each person. My 2 burner camp stove, battery operated fan, and folding entrenching tool live under the front bunks.

We also have a 6 gallon jerry can for water, a folding table, hamper for dirty clothes, camp chairs, hot dog sticks, axe, and saw strapped up against the front wall. There’s a small box between the door and my bunk to hold all the pots and pans and cooking gear. Food stays in the cooler or boxes in the back of the Suburban.



I painted the roof with white elastomeric roofing to seal it, and it also cuts down on the heat. That made a huge difference, and if I had my choice I’d rather have a white trailer than black, but that’s what we got.



It’s wired for 12V and 110. The power center is in the tongue box that I got from Harbor Freight. I bought 2 12V AGM batteries off of Ebay when I first built it…they’re probably due to be replaced, but I honestly don’t use them much. The ceiling fan is 12V, there are two LED lights, and a cigarette-lighter-type socket in the front wall for charging electronics. That can either run off battery, or shore power. I repurposed an old computer power supply for the 12V power source, and I can switch to that (toggle switch on the left side) when we’re plugged in to avoid draining the battery. I also have a NOCO battery charger that goes in there to charge the battery if we’re at a developed campground or some place with hookups, but it was hooked up to my boat when I took the pic. There’s also two 60W equivalent 110V lightbulbs and a power outlet inside the trailer for when we’re plugged in. There’s a 50W Renogy solar panel on the roof for off-grid charging. (Forgive the mess…the tongue box is also the receptacle for extra fishing gear, spare wheel bearings, cordage, etc.).



Overall, it’s been good for our needs, with the expectation that the goal is to spend time outdoors, not hang out in the trailer. It’s simple, it’s basic, and allows us to get into remote places where a big RV couldn’t go. It’s easily pulled by a ½ ton Suburban, and it provides adequate shelter for a good night’s sleep off the ground, and a place to get out of the rain. The biggest shortcomings I’ve encountered in almost 10 years of use:

1. 50 W of solar panel is completely inadequate. Even in the desert with full sun it can’t keep the battery charged up enough to run the fan all night repeatedly. If I were starting over I’d go with at least 200W. As it is, it basically serves as a trickle-charger to maintain the battery during the months that it’s not being used.

2. The dirty clothes situation is a pain, especially as the kids have gotten bigger and sweatier. We have a plunger-type thing that we can use to wash them in a bucket, but it’s a lot of work and is no substitute for a real laundry machine. Having them all in that hamper inside the trailer can become kinda pungent by the end of a trip…I need to come up with a way to store them outside our living space.

Day 8 - This was our last day in Dubois, and there was no agenda, so a few of the kids stayed in the campground with the grandparents and the rest of us drove up to the Brooks Lake trailhead for a hike. We weren’t really sure where we were hiking to, as the maps weren’t great, but there was a trail and we figured we’d follow it. It started out really steep but quickly leveled out into a nice, soft pine-forest walk with lots of wildflowers and streams. We ultimately ended up at upper and lower Jade Lakes, which were beautiful. There was also a great view back over Brooks Lake on the way back. I loved this area, and someday I’m going back.







That evening after supper we fished the creek around the campground, and my youngest, who had been struggling to hook up all week, finally caught a few. He was super excited, and those fish made me happier than any of the ones I caught all week. It made the ~$150 that I spent on non-resident fishing licenses absolutely worth it!



We also had another wildlife encounter while fishing that evening. We were rounding a bend in the creek when we looked around the corner and saw a moose, who promptly lifted her head and glared at us for disturbing her dinner. I took a couple of pics and then we backed off and let her have that part of the river to herself!

Day 9 - Our original plan had been for the in-laws to head home to Florida this day, and I was hoping to head up to the Beartooths for a few days since I’ve never been. My wife got a call while we were at Yellowstone, though, informing her that an old friend had died and the funeral was set for Tuesday (this is what happens when you go places with cell coverage ), so the Beartooths were out for this trip. We still had a couple of days left, though, so we decided to head home via a couple of places we already knew and loved, Thermopolis and the Bighorn Mountains.



Thermopolis is a little town in Central Wyoming with a state park and natural hot springs right on the Bighorn river. The park is beautifully maintained, and the water features are almost like a mini Yellowstone. They also have a nature loop and a buffalo herd. There’s a State Bath House where you can go soak in the spring water for free, but since the kids were along this time we opted to do the “Star Plunge” water park across the street. Again, we had to do something with the dog, and my oldest wasn’t feeling the water park so he ended up staying out with him. The park was awesome…really nice and clean with a huge outdoor water slide and a variety of warm pools and hot tubs that leveraged the spring water. It was very laid back, kinda rustic, and the staff and local customers were super friendly…we had a great time.

After a few hours at the water park (if we ever go back I’d schedule a full day) we ate lunch, walked around the hot springs (the Dog was allowed here, and amazingly he didn’t jump in and die like the Yellowstone people were sure he would do!), and got back in the Suburban for the drive to Meadowlark Lake in the Bighorns.





On the way north, the dog puked in the car. I guess I should be grateful that this was only the second puke incident of a week+ long and ~3000 mile trip with 4 kids and a dog, but he got it all over my youngest son’s sweatshirt. So we had an emergency pull-off alongside the road, disrobing, rinsing, and shoving of the tainted garment into a bag in the tongue box (poor tongue box gets saddled with all the nasty stuff) and had to stop in Worland to buy him another sweatshirt. There was no further puking, though, and we made it to our campground, found a spot, and got set up in time for supper.

After supper, we drove down the road and hiked up to an old fire tower that used to be used by the forest service. It provides some great views of the mountains and Meadowlark Lake, and gave my oldest a chance to play with his drone.



After hiking back down we stopped by the lake on the way back to camp and fished for a bit. A pretty chill end to a busy day.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: 92fstech,

Thanks for the derail on the trailer.
Awesome photos & looks like a good time spent outdoors.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
Thanks for the derail on the trailer.
Awesome photos & looks like a good time spent outdoors.

No problem, it was a fun project and has opened up all sorts of travel possibilities for us. I have all kinds of ideas for fancy-ing it up in a few years after the kids move out and we only have sleep 2 + dog. If you decide to try something similar and have any specific questions, I'm happy to give input!

Day 10 - I woke up to a moose calf in the bushes right next to our campsite. I looked around for its mom, but never did see it. The calf didn’t seem too bothered by me and the dog, and just kind of grazed off up and over the hill.



We spent most of the day on some short hikes, playing in a waterfall, and doing some fishing.

Day 11 - Our last full day in Wyoming, and epic hike day for me and my oldest son. My wife and younger kids opted to stay in the campground while we undertook the 16 mile round-trip hike up to Mistymoon Lake. We got up at 6am and were on the trail by 7:30. My wife and I have done this hike 3 or 4 times before, but this was my first time with my son.



It’s a relatively easy hike for an alpine trail. Mostly level but rocky, with a water crossing about a mile in, a few switchbacks, and some excellent lake views and fishing. We saw a cow moose by the creek after we crossed, but she was too far off for a decent cell-phone pic (I left the big camera in the truck, because it’s an extra 3+lbs I didn’t want to carry).





We made it the 8 miles to our intended destination by 10:00am, so we stopped to fish for a bit when we heard a loud grunt up on the north side of the lake. We looked over and there was a huge bull moose standing behind a clump of trees about 50 yards up from the water line. Noah got his drone out and flew it over there, being careful to not get too close, and it turned out there were three of them bedded down up there behind the trees, all big bulls. We worked our way around to the ridge above them and got a good look, but again were too far away for good cell-phone pics. I need to find a lighter camera with decent optical zoom. The best shot we got was from Noah’s drone, which also had to be zoomed way in because we didn’t want to pressure them..






After checking out the moose, we decided we still had some gas left in the tank, so we hiked over and checked out the approach to Cloud Peak. It’s a 13,000+ footer that I’ve always wanted to climb, but for one reason or another have never done it. There was no way we were getting it done that day, either, but I wanted to scout out campsites at the base and the trail leading up to it. We had to climb the ridge behind Mistymoon lake and then hike down about a mile to a waterfall where the trail up the mountain started. We made it about a mile up the trail, which involved a lot of rock scrambling, finally deciding to turn around somewhere between 11,000-11,500ft ASL. The next 2000 feet look pretty gnarly, but it’ll definitely be do-able if we camp at the base, have cooperative weather, and give the mountain a full day. That’s a job for a future trip, though.





After coming back down into the valley, we had to climb the mile back up to Mistymoon, where I found a nice rock on the south shore, put my feet in the water, and tossed in a line. I sat there for about an hour without catching anything, but I didn’t care…it was incredibly relaxing and beautiful. I watched one of the bull moose from that morning grazing above the treeline across the lake, and the clear water was like a fish tank with a bunch of trout swimming around in plain view that wanted nothing to do with my lure.



Just as we were getting ready to leave, the deepwater lake trout started biting. I lost my first one, and then landed a nice one. Noah got two or three. It wouldn’t have ruined the day at all if we hadn’t caught any, but that was just icing on the cake.



We watered up and headed back down, stopping to fish a couple of the lower lakes along the way, and I swam across the middle one to the smooth granite slabs on the opposite side…something I’ve always wanted to do but never had the time to try before.

We made it back to camp in time for supper…pretty sore after roughly 20 miles of hiking, but an awesome day on the mountain with my son.

Day 12 - The last day of the trip was a straight 22+ hours of driving back to Indiana. We saw the Moose Calf on the way out of the campground, with his mom just a little ways up the hill. I got a shot with the 300mm, because we were in the car where that heavy thing pretty much permanently lives.



It was a great trip, with some unfinished business (The Beartooths and Cloud Peak) that I can’t wait to go back for.

I’m also looking for a couple of gear suggestions for future trips that maybe you guys can help me with:

1. A lighter-weight camera with a decent optical zoom. I love my Pentax K5, but it’s a brick and kinda stupid to carry up a mountain, especially when I’ve invested significant dollars in every other manner of lightweight gear.

2. A better compact, portable water filter. I have a Sawyer, and to be honest I kinda hate it. It takes a lot of effort to use it, it’s hard on water bottles, and requires dedicating a bottle to dirty water. I’d like something effective that pumps straight from the source, and preferably without requiring half a ton of force to do so.

3. A quality, lightweight pair of fast-drying water shoes that provide decent sole and toe protection. The “Water socks” I have are nice and light to hang off my pack, but my feet get banged up on rocks when using them.

Appreciate all the photos from that part of the state where we spent 5 years of our lives. Great trip.

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:
Appreciate all the photos from that part of the state where we spent 5 years of our lives. Great trip.

It's absolutely beautiful country. Every time we go out there I try to scheme some way to move there. Ultimately, I don't have the balls to walk away from a steady job and uproot the family at this point. Maybe in a couple of years when my retirement is fully vested and I won't be throwing away all my employer contributions. At least we can visit...I'm already scheming a trip for earlier in the summer next year to hit it before my fishing license expires!

Thanks for taking us all along for the ride!

Great pictures, great commentary!

You drove right through my old neck of the woods...Hobart, IN.

quote:

Originally posted by 6guns:
Thanks for taking us all along for the ride!

Great pictures, great commentary!

You drove right through my old neck of the woods...Hobart, IN.

Ah, "The Region" as we call it around here. I've worked with a couple of guys who were from up that way. Good dudes. We're outside of Warsaw, so a little over an hour east of there.

Beautiful country out there!
The brutal part is getting from here to there... Driving across I-80 through In, Il, Wi, Mn, SD up to the Black Hills / Badlands area is like driving across a pool table. Everything after that is gorgeous country! I've driven that a few times in a car & on a motorcycle.

"Plan A" after retirement is Black Hills, S/E Wyoming area. (fingers crossed)